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Reviews for The Serpent King

Very reminiscent of Indiana Jones for a younger audience ... it's an exciting read and the female characters are as brave and clever as the males so it would appeal to both boys and girls - a great read for lovers of quest computer games and would-be explorers.

The School Librarian

This book was an amazing piece of fiction. It was full of adventure and drama. This book is on my favourite list!

I loved this book because it is adventurous and mysterious. The
characters are interesting and unique. Ryan is artistic and funny, Cleo
has no sense of direction and is very literal, but together they make a
fantastic team! ...
I would recommend this book to children 8-11 who like books by Enid
Bylton, JK Rowling and Caroline Lawrence, but you should definitely read
the first Secret of the Tombs book, The Phoenix Code, first.

This is one of those brilliant books where likeable young people who are
so real they could be in your class at school get to wander around the
most amazing places on earth. There are thrills and danger at every
turn, but along the way, and quite without noticing it, the reader finds
out all kinds of cool stuff, like the fabulous treasures emperors
stashed in their tombs for the afterlife, and what revolutionaries
tucked inside their mooncakes. You discover how Louis XIV and Napoleon
communicated safely with their allies, and why some Chinese people avoid
certain numbers. But the book is, first and foremost, a rip-roaring,
white-knuckle quest, and should definitely be top of the list for
holiday reading this summe . . .

Moss presents all of this drama alongside dashes of laugh out loud
humour. My favourite part of the book is when they use noodles (see
above comment) to sneak into a terrifying tomb filled with deadly
poisons. How? That’s for you to find out!

This fun-filled adventure reminds me of such series as The 39 Clues
in the way it combines history, archeology and suspense to create an
entirely new experience for the reader.

I can’t wait to see more of Cleo and Ryan. In my opinion, this is the
best book I’ve read this year. And that’s saying something!

Since I read the first page of this book my eyes have been glued to the
paper. I loved the style of the book and it was written in a way that
didn’t let me let it go. I am itching to read the second book.

There's a fast-moving plot, plenty of cliff-hangers and unexpected
bad-guys, with humour provided by interplay between happy-go-lucky Ryan
and nerdy Cleo in this engaging, informative ancient historical
mystery.

A
perfect setting for this, the first in a new series of thrillers which
combines intriguing landscapes, archaeology and adventure . . . In Ryan
and Cleo she has created two delightful characters with whom
readers will readily identify . . . Their consequent
misunderstandings and worries form a gently amusing
framework to the main action, lightening moments of tension and
providing useful life lessons. Guys – never make a joke about a girl's
name, for example!
. . . It is definitely a book for both boys and girls, and really should not
be missed by any fan of history or adventure: it is excellent!

It’s a children’s version of the adult historical treasure thrillers àla Dan
Brown/Steve Berry type (and I mean that in the best possible way –
great plots, edge of the seat suspense), and it’s every bit as exciting
and very well-written . . . draws the reader in from page one and once I’d started, I didn’t want to
put the book down. It sizzles along with never a dull moment, and the
reader can’t help but like the two young protagonists and root for them
as they try to outwit the (adult) villains

Dan Brown for kids. My 9 year old loved this Egyptian adventure story.

Matt Taylor, Chepstow Bookshop

This book is even better than the Adventure Island series
and it is such a page-turner. It is as exciting and fun to read, but it
is also interesting and you learn about Ancient Egypt. I think the
characters are good for the book because Cleo is quite sensible and
serious and Ryan is quite funny and artistic so they make a good team.

I would recommend this book to boys and girls who have read the Adventure Island books and who are 7 to 10 years old.

We read the book at bedtime and normally we only read a chapter a night
but we found that there were lots of cliff-hangers in the book and we
couldn’t put it down! This meant that instead of one chapter a night it
was increasing to two and sometimes three so it was a good job we were
reading it near to the end of term!

If you have enjoyed The History Keepers and The Secret Breakers, even if
you enjoyed Helen Moss' other series, The Adventure Island, featured on
here, you will love this book. The best bit???? The title "Secret of
the Tombs 1" suggests that this will be the first of a series about Cleo
and Ryan!
Knoll Best Books Blogclick here for the full review

The Phoenix Code is a brilliant book and is definitely a must buy for anyone who likes adventure and mystery books. Jed Owens (11)click here for the full review

This book is full of conspiracy, murder and mystery and makes for a very
exciting read. It has lots of references to famous Egyptian Pharaohs,
such as Tutankhamun, Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, which I found very
interesting and informative.My Kind of Book blogclick here for full review

The book is so good as it’s tightly paced and it doesn’t
reveal too much in each chapter, giving a sense of trepidation and a foreboding
atmosphere. It puts you into a world of mystery, trickery, secrets and
adventure: you feel like you are in the book and that’s what makes this book so
special.

I finished it in two nights. It was so good I couldn’t put
it down. I even secretly read it when I was meant to be asleep. For those who
like Harry Potter, The Hunger Games or Divergent, it’s a must-read.